Other stuff

Search

May 22, 2017

Capricious-Corn One

It seems like at this time every year, my blog posts get a little introspective. Don't know why. Maybe it's because the blogaversary is coming up. In fact, the day of the actual 9th blogaversary is May 25, which happens to be the day I attend my son's college graduation. Or maybe because Memorial Day is the unofficial start of summer. I dunno.

And although we're only a few days short of five months into 2017, I want to discuss something I've noticed about this year so far. Which is the vast amount of behavior I have experienced and observed during this year that I can best describe as capricious.

The dictionary.com primary definition of "capricious" is "subjectto,ledby,orindicativeofasudden,oddnotionorunpredictablechange;erratic:". Yes, indeed. This nature, this behavior, seems to be prevalent these days. Doesn't seem much lately like words are supposed to match actions, and it seems like words and actions and relationships and commitment and character just doesn't matter anymore.

This year seems like a year where anything can happen. One week someone can be a hero; the next week they're a goat. One day someone is a valued employee and a treasured resource; the next day they're fired. One day a relationship is strong and firm; the next day it's destroyed. One day an institution can be trusted; the next day it can't. One day someone in a position of responsibility tells you the truth; the next day that "truth" is found to be a fraud. It just doesn't seem like someone's word, someone's commitment, someone's promise matters much these days. Join a group, a team, a committee? Sure thing. Show up, play, do some work, participate? Oh, now well wait a minute here!

When did words and actions become disposable commodities? When did it become OK to look someone in the eye, stand face to face to them in conviction, and lie? When did it become OK not to keep a promise, barring harm to someone involved?

What's to blame for this? The easy thing would be to point a bony, Cryptkeeper-like finger at the political discourse currently at play. And while I will say that in that discourse, words and meanings are tossed about rather capriciously, political discourse has been such before. And one could say that the pace and stress of everyday life drive people to exhibit behaviors that are not their true selves and that would terribly embarrass their true selves. But people make daily and constant choices about how to behave in their lives, and acting capriciously is one among that menu of choices.

So my conclusion is that it's a combination of a number of internal and external factors that are making people act---well, jerky. And, back on a point made in the last paragraph, it is each and every single one of our choices with respect to how to behave to the people near and far to us-- our, families, friends, loved ones, acquaintances, partners, co-workers, and just the guy in the car in the next lane or the checker at CVS.

Let's hope the remaining 61% of the year finds people acting more nobly towards each other.

And let's be careful out there.

PS-- If you haven't seen the 70s sci-fi conspiracy movie, "Capricorn One", please do yourself a favor and watch it. It's awesome. Lots of things that aren't what they seem. Kinda like 2017 has been so far.